Jon Stickley Trio Announces New Drummer and Further Tour Dates“Pure Joy Through Music”

ASHEVILLE —Jon Stickley Triois a genre-defying and cinematic instrumental trio, who’s deep grooves, innovative flatpicking, and sultry-spacy violin moves the listener’s head, heart, and feet. “It’s not your father’s acoustic-guitar music—although Stickley’s pop showed him his first chords when he was 12 years old. Instead, Stickley’s Martin churns out a mixture of bluegrass, Chuck Berry, metal, prog, grunge, and assorted other genres—all thoroughly integrated into a personal style,” writes Guitar Player Magazine.Premier Guitar says, “Stickley’s trio… is not a traditional bluegrass group by any means… they are just nimble and ambitious enough to navigate EDM-style breakbeats as effortlessly as the old timey standard ‘Blackberry Blossom.’”“Stickley is a super-resourceful acoustic guitarist who uses the instrument in many surprising ways and whose timing is just flawless. Fiddler Lyndsay Pruett puts deep thought into her flowing solos, plus she adds little flourishes and sudden stops that elevate the music,” proclaims Nashville’s Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst.Jon Stickley Trio announces a change in lineup beginning in January 2018 with new drummer, Hunter Deacon, who is both classically trained and boasts heavy jazz influences. Hailing from the ever-hip Knoxville, Tennessee, Hunter studied with drummer Keith Brown and received a BM in Studio Music and Jazz from the University of Tennessee. Deacon then went on to complete a six month residency at a jazz club in Hangzhou, China where he performed seven nights a week. Since his return, he’s played with Scott Miller and the Commonwealth, toured the country with Sam Lewis, and performs with guitarist Mike Baggetta.Stickley says about the seemingly sudden lineup change, “we’re really excited to add Hunter’s vibe to the mix, his creativity and willingness to experiment were two things that drew us to him, and Lyndsay and I were quickly surprised and inspired by what he’ll bring to the table.”With inspiration ranging from from Green Day to Duran Duran to Tony Rice to Nirvana, Grateful Dead, David Grisman and beyond, the Trio is making waves with their unique sound. Along with releasing two full length albums and one EP in the past few years, the Trio has zig-zagged the nation, playing over 120 dates in 2017 alone. They are road tested and band geek approved!Dave King (of The Bad Plus) joined forces with Jon Stickley Trio to produce 2017’s Maybe Believeand 2015’s Lost At Last (which The New York Times called “both respectful and free”)in the band’s hometown of Asheville, NC at the esteemed Echo Mountain Recording Studio. The Trio slipped a self-produced 5-track EP, Triangular, into the mix in December of 2016.“In a time when a lot of instrumental music feels more like math than art, Jon Stickley Trioreminds us of the pure joy that can be created and shared through music,” says Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck.Stickley says, “The Trio feels fresher and hotter than ever, we’ve hit our stride in terms of creating tunes that are uniquely us and that’s a really exciting place to be musically. Not to mention we are so stoked to get back to many of our favorite festivals and clubs, and even more excited to play some the ones we’ve always dreamed of. 2018 will, without a doubt, be our best year yet!”Jon Stickley Trio On Tour

ASHEVILLE —Jon Stickley Triois a genre-defying, explosive instrumental trio, who’s deep grooves, innovative flatpicking, and sultry-spacy violin moves the listener’s head, heart, and feet. “Stickley’s Martin churns out a mixture of bluegrass, Chuck Berry, metal, prog, grunge, and assorted other genres – all thoroughly integrated into a personal style,” writes Guitar Player Magazine.Premier Guitar says, “Stickley’s trio with violinist Lyndsay Pruett and drummer Patrick Armitage is not a traditional bluegrass group by any means… they are just nimble and ambitious enough to navigate EDM-style breakbeats as effortlessly as the old timey standard ‘Blackberry Blossom.’”Dave King (of The Bad Plus) joined forces with the Trio to produce 2017’s Maybe Believeand 2015’s Lost At Lastin the band’s hometown of Asheville, NC at the esteemed Echo Mountain Recording Studio. The Trio slipped a self-produced 5-track EP, Triangular, into the mix in December of 2016. Dave says, “The group retains its place as a modern-thinking acoustic ensemble with one foot in tradition and the other in a bluegrass honored future that allows for the avant garde, punk, and be bop to mix in freely and tastefully.”With inspiration ranging from from Green Day to Duran Duran to Tony Rice to Nirvana, Grateful Dead, David Grisman and beyond, over the past few years they have zig-zagged the nation, playing over 120 dates in 2017 alone, they are road tested and band geek approved!“In a time when a lot of instrumental music feels more like math than art, Jon Stickley Trioreminds us of the pure joy that can be created and shared through music,” says Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck.

Stickley says, “The Trio feels fresher and hotter than ever, we’ve hit our stride in terms of creating tunes that are uniquely us and that’s a really exciting place to be musically. Not to mention we are so stoked to get back to many of our favorite festivals and clubs, and even more excited to play some the ones we’ve always dreamed of. 2018 will, without a doubt, be our best year yet!”Jon Stickley Trio celebrates a successful year having just returned from Strings and Sol in Puerto Morelos, Mexico where they performed an intensely captivating late night set which included collaborations with Jacob Joliff (Yonder Mountain String Band) and Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon). The result was an unstoppable wowing musical moment in time that was described as a highlight of the weekend for many festival goers. The weekend also included numerous sit-ins for Stickley including those with Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain String Band and Leftover Salmon. Other notable shows in 2017 included The String Cheese Incident’s Suwannee Hulaween, Joshua Tree Music Festival, WinterWonderGrass, Mountain Stage, Rooster Walk, Suwannee Clusterpluck, Red Wing Roots Music Festival, and FloydFest among others.To close out the year and ring in 2018, Jon Stickley Trio is performing a special New Year’s Eve celebration in their hometown of Asheville at Isis Music Hall with The Digs & Josh Phillips. Keeping with the local community spirit, they travel with fellow Asheville band and good friends, Town Mountain, for a few shows in Virginia in mid-January. In early February they link up with Front Country to play Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee before they travel back towards DC for a show at The Mansion at Strathmore and a two night run in Roanoke, Virginia.

Mid-February brings them back to Tennessee to perform at WDVX’s Tennessee Shines in Knoxville on Valentine’s Day and the the historic Station Inn in Nashville the following day.

Upcoming festivals for the Trio in the coming year include Delfest, WinterWonderGrass (California and Colorado), Old Settler’s Music Festival, John Hartford Memorial Fest, and many more to be announced in the coming months.

Jon Stickley Trio On Tour With New Album, Maybe BelieveProduced by Dave King (The Bad Plus) at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville NC“Stickley’s Martin churns out a mixture of bluegrass, Chuck Berry, metal, prog, grunge, and assorted other genres – all thoroughly integrated into a personal style.”
— Guitar Player Magazine, Michael Ross

“Clear, Present, and Slightly Dangerous” —Musoscribe, Bill Kopp

“Stickley and his mates play a guitar-focused instrumental music that blends bluegrass/newgrass with a jazz trio vibe… this is a must-listen.”
—Jambase, Aaron Stein“A learned, cohesive and stylistically daring acoustic sound all their own”
—Lexington Herald-Leader, Walter Tunis“A force of musical exploration and innovation”
—Live For Live Music, Rex Thomson“A compelling soundtrack you never knew you needed”–The Poke Around, Tom Cunningham

ASHEVILLE — Jon Stickley Trio is on tour with Maybe Believe, their 3rd independently released full length album [May 12, 2017]. Jon Stickley Trio combines Jon Stickley’s rapid-fire flatpicking guitar with the sultry and wild, yet refined, melodies of Lyndsay Pruett on violin set over the deep groove of Patrick Armitage on drums.

Jon Stickley Trio has been touring the States extensively this year and kicks off September at the Jackpine Jamboree in Wisconsin and then they’ll spend a week at Sisters Folk Fest in Oregon with workshops and performances. Mid-month brings them around to the northeast before playing out the rest of September back in midwest. After a quick break in their hometown of Asheville, NC, they head west with a stop in Colorado before a handful of shows in California, including the Joshua Tree Music Festival. Then the road brings them up through Utah and Wyoming before a few more Colorado shows. They close out October by joining in on the Halloween fun at String Cheese Incident’s Suwannee Hulaween down in northern Florida at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park.

In early November the Trio heads into Virginia for a couple of shows before traveling back into Florida for the Riverhawk Fest and more performances throughout the state. The end of the month brings the Trio back up towards their home-state for a scattering of shows and to rest up a bit before heading out in early December to Strings and Sol in Puerto Morelos, a Mexican port town on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula where they join in on Cloud 9’s annual 4-night all-inclusive Tropical Bluegrass Adventure with Yonder Mountain String Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, Fruition, and Bryan Sutton. To close out the year they have a special New Year’s Eve Celebration in their hometown of Asheville at Isis Music Hall with The Digs!

Stay tuned to Jon Stickley Trio’s website and social networks for more dates to be announced and updates from the road.

In April, Jon Stickley Trio performed on NPR’s Mountain Stage and their episode is scheduled for broadcast this Friday, May 20 and begins feeding to 200+ NPR stations. Airtimes and stations can be found here: http://goo.gl/7p4Y7J.

They will also be touring the States extensively with Maybe Believe. See the full list of tour dates below.

What people are saying about Jon Stickley Trio:

“The latest record from the Jon Stickley Trio flexes new and strong muscles, utilizing more progressive structures and deeper pockets than ever before. All the while, the group retains its place as a modern-thinking acoustic ensemble with one foot in tradition and the other in a bluegrass honored future that allows for the avant garde, punk, and be bop to mix in freely and tastefully.”
—Dave King

“With this eclectic instrumentation, their melodies wander between cultures and rhythms, pulling you in and making you want to dance… With instrumental only tracks, the Jon Stickley Trio’s diverse musicality is the star.” —Scenes Media, Christie Hudon

“In an age of music where it can be difficult to find something new, Jon Stickley Trio is a consistent breath of fresh air. Their infectious and irresistible energy can be felt through each note, providing a compelling soundtrack you never knew you needed.” — The Poke Around, Tom Cunningham

“Sure, comparisons to previous musicians are a good way to explain a new artist to the masses, but to do so is to cheat Stickley of what he really is: a damn genius, a musical mastermind, and one of the most unique, creative, and inventive guitar players I’ve ever heard… Stickley’s guitar playing shares as much in common with the flow of the greatest rappers of all time as it does with his flatpicking heroes…” —Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck

“The majority of the songs on the new album were written by Stickley, using his talents to layer different grooves and play with polyrhythms. Lyndsay Pruett contributed a couple of jazzier numbers including ‘The Price of Being Nice”’ and a short solo, ‘Lady Time,’ that closes out the album with her distinctive pizzicato playing and violin improvisation.” —AXS, Renee Wright, Renee Wright

“A new generation of bluegrass-reared instrumental explorers is coming into its own, and the Stickley Trio is in the vanguard.” — Music City Roots, Craig Havighurst

“Thoughtful & energetic” —Bryan Sutton

Find out more about Maybe Believe in this behind-the-scenes video with the band recorded at Echo Mountain during their recording sessions →

Jon Stickley Trio Releases Maybe Believe on May 12, 2017Produced by Dave King (The Bad Plus) at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville NC

ASHEVILLE —Riding the wave of their critically acclaimed 2015 album, Lost at Last, Jon Stickley Trio independently releases their 3rd full length album, Maybe Believe, on May 12, 2017. Jon Stickley Trio combines Jon Stickley’s rapid-fire flatpicking guitar with the sultry and wild, yet refined, melodies of Lyndsay Pruett on violin set over the deep groove of Patrick Armitage on drums.

“The latest record from the Jon Stickley Trio flexes new and strong muscles, utilizing more progressive structures and deeper pockets than ever before,” says Producer Dave King (Of The Bad Plus). “All the while, the group retains its place as a modern-thinking acoustic ensemble with one foot in tradition and the other in a bluegrass honored future that allows for the avant garde, punk, and be bop to mix in freely and tastefully.”

Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck says of Jon, “Sure, comparisons to previous musicians are a good way to explain a new artist to the masses, but to do so is to cheat Stickley of what he really is: a damn genius, a musical mastermind, and one of the most unique, creative, and inventive guitar players I’ve ever heard… Stickley’s guitar playing shares as much in common with the flow of the greatest rappers of all time as it does with his flatpicking heroes…”

The album title, Maybe Believe, is a continuation of the theme from Lost at Last. With Lost at Last, the band was stepping away from their collective musical past, into new territory that was somewhat uncomfortable, but also inspiring and free. With Maybe Believe, they have become more comfortable in their own skin yet retain an element of vulnerability while continuing to move into uncharted territory. This album marks the next step in the band’s evolution, and takes the listener to original and unexpected new places that still embody the familiarity of the Jon Stickley Trio’s signature style.

Dave says, “I was honored to be a part of this evolution and I think we made a very compelling album for music fans and musicians of all kinds.” This is his second time joining forces with the Trio at Echo Mountain Recording Studio in the band’s hometown of Asheville, NC, once again working with Engineer Julian Dryer. Both were also on board for Lost at Last which garnered praise from The New York Times, NPR’s Heavy Rotation, NPR’s World Cafe, Folk Alley, Premier Guitar Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Performer Magazine, and many others.

Stickley says, “We had just gotten to know Dave last time and had such a good time. Bringing him in again takes the whole thing up a notch. It was a completely different experience, after traveling all over the place touring [in 2016 the Trio drove over 50,000 miles], over time we’ve developed a cohesion as a band where we intimately know each other and can feel where each other is wanting to go and respond. It’s developed into a tight musical relationship.”

The album’s opening track, “Jewels,” is a short, mellow, piece which serves as the album’s prologue, setting the tone of the record, quieting the mind of the listener. It’s a cleansing of the palette before the full course, and features the delicate harmonics of Jon and Lyndsay along with and Patrick’s textural brushwork.

Then they go full throttle with “Playpeople,” an eclectic piece that draws inspiration from Green Day, Duran Duran, Grateful Dead, and David Grisman Quintet, but in the end, is ultimately pure Jon Stickley Trio. This track’s title is a gender-neutral term for someone who likes to have a good time, and does so despite all external obstacles and displays the Trio’s fun-loving energy and virtuosity, as well as their controlled intensity.

“Almost With You” and “Mt. Sandia Swing” highlight the Jon Stickley Trio’s ability and inclination to play with polyrhythms and layer different grooves on top of each other. Dave King described “Sandia” as “The Violent Femmes… playing Jazz.”

Jon Stickley’s music brings forth mental imagery from the soundscapes the band has created in songs like “Slow Burn,” which is a like simmering pot of stew that occasionally boils over, while “Microbruise” embraces the fun-loving nature of Asheville’s beer brewers and drinkers, and “Cecil” is the Trio’s heaviest song yet featuring seamless interplay between guitar and violin with a sludgy, old school, John Bonham style drumbeat.

The aforementioned songs were all penned by Stickley, while Lyndsay Pruett’s hand brings forth a couple of jazzier numbers. A highlight of the record, “The Price of Being Nice” has a quirky, infectious theme that is explored throughout the song with a somewhat deconstructed treatment that allows the Trio to shine. Pruett also wrote “Lady Time,” a short solo song that closes out the album that features her distinctive pizzicato playing and improvisations.

The album contains three covers, “Jerusalem Ridge” (a Bill Monroe tune with a twist that has become a staple at live shows), “Avril 14th’ (a piece by Richard James a.k.a. Aphex Twin), and “Birdland Breakdown” (a tune by mandolinist John Reischman which also appeared on Tony Rice’s jazz-grass album Still Inside).

Js3 Announces Plans to Record Next Full Length Album, Produced by Dave King (The Bad Plus) at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville NC after Successful Kickstarter Campaign

ASHEVILLE — On the tail of their critically acclaimed 2015 album, Lost at Last, Jon Stickley Trio independently releases a brand new 5-song EP, Triangular, on December 2,2016. With roots in gypsy jazz, bluegrass, and hip-hop in an “exhilarating all-acoustic swirl” (Acoustic Guitar Magazine), Jon Stickley Trio combines Jon Stickley’s rapid-fire flatpicking guitar with the sultry and wild, yet refined, melodies of Lyndsay Pruett on violin set over the deep groove of Patrick Armitage on drums.

“In a time when a lot of instrumental music feels more like math than art, Jon Stickley Trio’s Triangular reminds us of the pure joy that can be created and shared through music,” says Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck.

Jon Stickley Trio is on tour this winter with shows in the southeast this December in Knoxville, Kingsport and Charlotte. Jon also has a couple of shows booked with Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon) and Travis Book (The Infamous Stringdusters) in North Carolina mid-month. On December 30th, the Trio pops up north to Richmond, Virginia to open for The Infamous Stringdusters before heading home to Asheville for a special New Year’s Eve Celebration with The Honeycutters on Dec 31st. In early January, Jon Stickley travels to Denver to play two nights as a part of the Bluegrass Generals featuring members of The Infamous Stringdusters, Greensky Bluegrass, and more. The Trio joins up again in Wray, Colorado on the 21st with some surprise mystery dates out west TBA. There’s a scattering of other dates announced including WinterWonderGrass in California in the spring and FloydFest in the summer in Virginia. More to come!

The EP, Triangular, was recorded at Blue Sprocket Sound in Harrisonburg, VA this summer and was sent early to anyone that donated $10 or more to their recent successful Kickstarter Campaign to help them head back into Echo Mountain Recording Studio this winter with Producer Dave King (Of The Bad Plus) to record a yet un-named new full length album due out in 2017. The band surpassed their goal and reached $29,120 and is currently in studio recording..

“I like to think of music as a two way street, a reciprocal experience between musician and audience,” says Lyndsay Pruett. “The Kickstarter campaign really affirms my view on that. And it truly becomes about more than the money. Money is the thing we all know we need to make the world go around, but this process allows people to have an extra level of personal involvement. We have conversations with people we’ve met at shows from all over the country, and they become involved in the next record. Then when we go back to those places to play the music for them the experience is more substantial, and more fun, of course.”

Triangular features five songs leading out with with “Blackburn Brothers”, of which Beck says, “While the opening notes remind the listener of Tony Rice’s Manzanita (one of the greatest acoustic guitar albums of all time), one is suddenly catapulted into Jackson 5 territory a few minutes later in the same song. Sure, comparisons to previous musicians are a good way to explain a new artist to the masses, but to do so is to cheat Stickley of what he really is: a damn genius, a musical mastermind, and one of the most unique, creative, and inventive guitar players I’ve ever heard.”

“Plain Sight” was penned by Jon after the mass shooting at a concert in Paris. ”It’s as much an angry response to the perpetrators as it is a mournful tribute to the victims,” says Stickley. The music features Lyndsay’s delicate pizzicato violin plucking, Patrick’s breakbeat drum vibes, and Stickley’s signature high speed shredding. The third phase of the tune breaks down to a gentle trading of melodic lines by Jon and Lyndsay.

“Palm Tree” is a tropically themed dance tune has become a staple of the band’s live shows. It changes time signatures between 5/4 and 6/8, but remains danceable and accessible. The purpose of “Palm Tree” is to jam out and have fun, and that’s what the Trio does on this track. You can hear Jon and Lyndsay pushing each other while Patrick “cooks” underneath, heating up the skillet till its HOT.

“Echolocation”’ is a tribute to whales and the beautiful songs they sing underwater. The most evocative of the songs on the record, it features the cello-like longbows of Lyndsay’s violin that mimic the whales’ songs. Patrick’s epic drum solo over Lyndsay and Jon’s unison arpeggios is a climactic moment that is one of the band’s most dazzling recorded moments to date.

“Manzanita” is a classic composition by Jon’s hero, guitarist Tony Rice, is arguably one of the most important pieces of music in Newgrass history. The Trio recorded this song as a tribute to those who came before and took musical risks that changes the history of music.

“Since bluegrass players started delving into jazz, they’ve been composing progressive acoustic music, but so much of it has lacked the comfort in its own skin that Stickley’s songs possess.” Anders Beck says of Stickley’s style,“I could go on and on about how amazing it is that his twisty and turny songs don’t feel forced, and always bob and weave at the right time; or how Stickley’s guitar playing shares as much in common with the flow of the greatest rappers of all time as it does with his flatpicking heroes... I think you get my point. Stop reading this and go listen to his new EP.”

With the success of Lost At Last making it into rotation on radio stations both nationally and internationally, the Trio has traveled over 50,000 miles, performing at over 100 festivals and venues across the country in 2016 (Including the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC), attracted attention of thousands of new fans, and teamed up with a national booking agency. Jon Stickley Trio heads into the studio in early December to record the yet unnamed full length album with Dave King, who also produced Lost At Last which garnered praise from The New York Times,NPR’s Heavy Rotation, NPR’s World Cafe, Premier Guitar Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and many others.

Jon Stickley Trio has evolved into a fully formed, musical identity that was just beginning to take shape on the first record. Stickley realizes, “Our musicality has matured individually, and collectively to the extent that we can read each other, and respond to each other in a completely intuitive and natural way. We can’t wait to take our matured sound back into Echo Mountain with our mentor and producer, Dave King.”

All of this interlocks, and is propelling the band into the future. Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst says “A new generation of bluegrass-reared instrumental explorers is coming into its own, and the Stickley Trio is in the vanguard.” While the group does their thing in the studio, they are happy to share Triangular with the world now!

Jon Stickley Trio Releases New EP, Announces Kickstarter for Next Full Length Album to be Produced by Dave King (The Bad Plus) at Echo Mountain StudiosPre-Order the New Album Now & Receive the New EP, Triangular, the day the goal is reached!KICKSTARTER → http://kck.st/2e0lTzLLive For Live World Premiere of “Blackburn Brothers” from Triangular →http://bit.ly/JS3_L4LM_BlackburnBrothersPremiereDonate over $5 and get that song immediately

ASHEVILLE, NC – It’s been a whirlwind year for the Jon Stickley Trio! On the tail of their 2015 fan funded and independent release, Lost at Last, they have just announced a brand new 5-song EP, Triangular, and a Kickstarter Campaign to help them head back into Echo Mountain Recording Studio with Producer Dave King (Of The Bad Plus) to record a new full length album. King also produced Lost At Last which garnered praise from The New York Times,NPR’s Heavy Rotation, NPR’s World Cafe, Premier Guitar Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and many others.

Lost At Last made it into rotation on radio stations both nationally and internationally, the Trio performed at over 100 festivals and venues across the country (Including the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC), attracted attention of thousands of new fans, and landed a top notch booking agent. All of this interlocks, proving that the release of a recording can translate directly into touring traction and financial returns that propel the band into the future. Jon Stickley Trio heads into the studio in early December to record the yet unnamed full length album.

“Asheville, NC’s Jon Stickley has been playing in bluegrass bands for years, and is known as a progressive and adventurous flatpicker, but his musical roots and influences range widely to include rap, grunge, punk and more.” Linda Fahey with FolkAlley says for NPR’s Heavy Rotation. “When he teamed up with fiddler Lyndsay Pruett and drummer Patrick Armitage — originally as a lighthearted side project — the end result is a wonderfully unique sound that defies easy categorization.”

Jon Stickley Trio is looking to raise $28,000 and launched the Kickstarter campaign on 10/10; Folks can get involved until it ends on 11/11. They say, “We’ve set our goal at $28,000 which is substantially less than what the realistic costs add up to, because we understand that this is a group effort, and we are a part of that group!”

Anyone that donates $5 or more toward the new full length album will get one song from the new 5-song EP, Triangular, as an immediate download. The track is called “Blackburn Brothers” and it is a funky trio version of a tune Jon originally wrote with his brother Jeff while down at the Carolina coast. It features expressive solos by Jon and Lyndsay, that sync up with their signature, on point unison melody playing at the end. The song also highlights a danceable, somewhat latin drum beat.

Anyone that donates $10 or more will get Triangular as soon as the goal is reached. The EP was recorded at Blue Sprocket Sound in Harrisonburg, VA this summer. Other packages include private house concerts, a day at the studio with the band when they record the new album, music lessons with each member, limited edition “Individual Person” t-shirts of each member of the band (only available through the Kickstarter campaign), the new yet un-named album, an ultra-special limited Vinyl edition of Triangular (only available through the Kickstarter campaign), previous recordings, and more!

This budget figures in the recording, mixing, mastering and pressing of the new full length album. A portion of the budget is also dedicated to promotion of the new album as well as the EP, this includes print and radio. Jon Says, “This was such a huge part of the success of Lost at Last and since we didn’t plan for it last time we added it in this time around.” They’ve also budgeted in album art, photos and graphic designs that will all be a part of the new album as well.

Who is this Dave King character?Dave King is the drummer of The Bad Plus, also a trio, whose music combines elements of modern avant-garde jazz with rock and pop influences. “The Bad Plus, also a mainly instrumental group, has had an influence on our band since the start.” Jon Stickley continues, “We all loved Dave King independently and when we found out one day he used to be Patrick’s drum teacher we freaked out. Dave’s presence on the last album was unmistakable. His sometimes subtle guidance, and other times obvious counsel made Lost at Last what it was. We’re so excited about going into the studio with him for a second time around, now that we’ve gotten to know him and are less fan-girly.”

Jon Stickley Trio with Dave King

The band’s drummer, Patrick Armitage, has deep roots to Minneapolis, where King is from. He says, “I was lucky enough to study under Dave King for 6 years. Now I get to work with him professionally. That’s an honor. With Dave producing our last record and my drumming it’s nice to know there is a little bit of Minneapolis sneaking it’s way into The Jon Stickley Trio.”

The rest of the band first met King the evening before hitting the studio to make Lost at Last. In a way, that session was a “getting to know you” experience for all of them. They became fast friends, and clicked musically in the studio, but in the end it left the band wondering what they could accomplish if they were to have the same opportunity again. The exciting prospects led them to decide to work with him on this upcoming record in the same studio.

“Echo Mountain was the perfect fit for us because the setting of the old church, the creakiness of the wood, the vintage hum of the gear, and the discerning ear of Julian Dryer added an audible realness and character to the recording that was totally complimentary to our improvisational, original instrumental music, “ says Jon Stickley.

Since the recording and release of Lost at Last, Jon Stickley Trio has traveled over 50,000 miles, played shows in new territories all over the country, and evolved into a fully formed, musical identity that was just beginning to take shape on the first record. Stickley realizes, “Our musicality has matured individually, and collectively to the extent that we can read each other, and respond to each other in a completely intuitive and natural way. We can’t wait to take our matured sound back into Echo Mountain with our mentor and producer, Dave King.”